Floor rack for refrigerator cars



June 11, 1940. G. A. STEUBER FLOOR RACK FOR REFRIGERATOR CARS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Jan. 25, 1939 June 11, 1940. G. A. STEUBER FLOOR RACK FOR REFRIGERATOR CARS 2 w 1 7 e f e l & o o 2 n o WU. o o m m o o 0 mg 0 T o F o o o 4! n. w 0 w m Q y 0 m o W 0 w 0 Q A m 6 m m 6 w 9 1 3 52 ii A Patented June 11, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE George A. Steuber, Penfield, N. Y., assignor to Despatch Shops, Inc., a corporation of New York Application January 25, 1939, Serial No. 252,842

3 Claims.

The primary object of my invention is to provide a floor rack for refrigerator cars, that is light in weight, strong and simple, and one that will be reasonable in cost, and at the same time provide for maximum ventilation at that point in the car where these features are most desired, viz: under load and at the point where moisture collects.

Another object of my invention is to provide means for retaining the floor rack section at the car doorway against accidental displacement. And still another object of my invention is to provide a collapsible rack. And with these and other objects in view, my invention consists of the parts and combination of parts hereinafter described. I

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a detail vertical transverse sectional view of part of a refrigerator car with my improved rack shown in elevation.

Figure 2 is a top plan view of a plurality of my improved floor racks assembled.

Figure 3 is an end elevation of one of the floor racks.

Figure 4 is an enlarged vertical transverse sectional view of complete slat for the racks.

Figure 5 is a top plan view of the metal holder of the wood slat.

The reference numeral I designates a part of i a refrigerator car of any approved type having a floor 2 and inside sheathing 3.

or other, steel feet or legs] which are riveted,

or otherwise secured, to the stringers I 3. The 85 channeled metal slat holders 5 are each provided with a plurality of perforations 6 through its bottom member to provide drainage from the slat of any moisture that may collect there, and at the same time to permit air to pass for circulation to assist evaporation of moisture from beneath the Wood slats 1 which are seated in the metal slat holders, as shown in the drawings (see sectional view, Figure 4). These wooden slats 7 rest on the bottom members of the metal slat holders, and are confined against transverse movement relative to the slats by the side flanges 8 of the metal slat holders. The metal slat holder 5 is also provided with perforations 9 to receive rivets, bolts, or other means, ill to firmly but detachably secure the wood slats l to the metal slat holders 5, whereby a worn, or otherwise damaged, wood slat may be readily removed without disturbing the balance of the floor slat structure. These fastenings ID are of the watertight type.

The stringers l3 are in the form of inverted channels having their channeled sides facing downwardly and their webs facing upwardly. The slat holders 8 rest on and are welded or otherwise suitably fastened to these webs. By this construction the slat holders and slats are secured to and supported on surfaces of the stringers giving the largest area of support against bending or shearing stresses under the weight of even heavy lading resting on the slats. As shown, the stringers are spaced above the car floor by the feet or legs 4 and the slats are properly spaced with relation to each other to allow vertical circulation of air in the car. The above described construction and arrangement of the stringers, slats and slat holders also provides for the free downward drainage of all moisture which may be deposited on the stringersor in the holders, since any moisture which may flow into the slat holders will drain downward through the perforations and any moisture collecting on the outer surfaces or within the channel of any stringer willflow downward over the depending flanges of the stringer, which will thus serve as drip flanges. The free ventilation allowed by the described construction and relative arrangement of parts I, 8 and 13 also ensures the evaporation of any moisture not completely shed by drainage, thus preventing retention of moisture and the formation of rust and other damage due to retention of moisture and reducing the durability and life period of usefulness of the rack parts. Another advantage of this construction and arrangement of channeled stringers is that the upper ends of the arms of the U-shaped feet 4 may be received and housed in the channels of the stringers and secured therein to the webs of the stringers to effectually support and reinforce the webs on which the holders 8 and slats 1 rest.

As will be readily seen, I am enabled to place the wood slats bodily vertically into the metal slat holders, or insert them endwise into the metal holders.

. The slat sections of a row may be secured together by means of hinges II, and the slat sections adjacent the car wall may be hinged as at l2 to the side of the car whereby the sections may be folded against the sides of the car leaving the car floor free in case it is desired to load the car with certain laden that does not require refrigeration.

- By reason of the construction of my improved floor rack I am enabled to use a much cheaper wood than has been heretofore possible in refrigin weight, and of greater durability.

I provide a fastener l2a positioned at one edge of a rack section which is adapted to be engaged by a hook (not shown) attached to the inner face of the side wall of the car to hold the rack sections in folded position against the side wall of the car when the racks are not in use.

What I claim is:

1. A slatted floor for refrigerator cars comprising a plurality of spaced parallel stringers in the form of inverted channels having their webs facing upwardly and their channeled sides and flanges forming the same facing downwardly, said channels being spaced from the car floor, a plurality of individual channeled metal slat holders arranged at right angles to the stringers and supported on the webs of the stringers, said holders having the open sides of their channels facing upwardly and being secured at their bases to the stringers, upwardly facing coplanar wood slats fitted in the channels of the holders and having their upper surfaces projecting outwardly from and above the level of the open sides of the channels, the holders and slats held therein being spaced properly for vertical circulation of air but'arranged in sufficiently close relation to each other so that the upwardly projecting surfaces of the slats cooperatively form a floor or support, and fastening means passing through and securing the bases of the holders to the Webs of the stringers.

2. A slatted floor for refrigerator cars comprising a plurality of spaced parallel stringers in the form of inverted channels held spaced from the floor of the car and having their webs facing upwardly and their channeled sides and flanges forming the same facing downwardly, a plurality of individual channeled metal slat holders arranged at right angles to the stringers and supported on the webs of the stringers, said holders having the open sides of their channels facing upwardly and being secured at their bases to the stringers, the bases of the holders and webs of the stringers being provided with registering perforations for the drainage of moisture from the channels of the holders to the channels of the stringers and the flanges of the stringers forming drip flanges for the drainage of moisture therefrom, upwardly facing coplanar wood slats fitted in the channels of the holders and having their upper surfaces projecting outwardly from and above the level of the open sides of the channels, the holders and slats held therein being spaced properly for vertical circulation of air but arranged in sufficiently close relation to each other so that the upper projecting surfaces of the slats cooperatively form a floor or support, and fastening means passing through and securing the bases of the holders to the webs of the stringers.

3. A slatted floor or support for refrigerator cars comprising a plurality of spaced parallel stringers having their webs facing upwardy and their channeled sides and flanges forming the same facing downwardly, a plurality of spaced parallel individual slat holders arranged at right angles to the stringers, said holders having their open sides facing upwardly and having their base portions supported on and secured to the webs of the stringers, upwardly facing'coplanar wood slats fitted in the channels of said holders and having their upper portions projecting outwardly from and above the'level of the open sides of the channels, the said slat holders and slats being properly spaced to allow vertical circulation of air disposed in sufficiently close relation to each other so that the upwardly projecting portions of the slats cooperatively form a floor or support, and supporting legs depending from said stringers and. supporting the same spaced above the car fioor, said legs being housed at their upper ends in the channels of the stringers and fastened to the webs thereof.

GEORGE A. STEUBER. 

